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Kai
The Kai is the religious leader of the Bajorans, elected from among and by the Vedek Assembly to a life term. A symbol of strength and unity to the Bajorans for centuries, the Kai's religious authority is rivaled only by that of the Emissary to the Prophets. Besides religious power, the Kai also has a great deal of political influence in the Bajoran government. Disputes between the Kai and the First Minister of the government, while rare, can be extremely divisive. While it is not forbidden for the Kai to serve as First Minister, such involvement in political matters is discouraged. (DS9: "Emissary", "The Collaborator", "Shakaar") When the Cardassian Union began its occupation of the planet, the Bajoran religion was outlawed. Power passed from then-Kai Meressa to Opaka, who protected her people as best she could and became revered. However, she went into isolation during the last years of the occupation. With the conclusion of the Cardassian Withdrawal in 2369, it was expected that Opaka was the only one who could unite the Bajorans, yet she remained isolated. The arrival of Benjamin Sisko, the Emissary, and Opaka's death that same year significantly decreased the influence of the Kai on Bajoran life. (DS9: "Emissary", "Battle Lines") Bajor was spiritually and politically leaderless as the Bajoran Provisional Government struggled to maintain order, and the Vedek Assembly did not elect a new Kai until 2370. The election was largely a choice between Vedeks Bareil Antos and Winn Adami. As common knowledge held that Bareil was Opaka's hand-picked successor, his election seemed inevitable, but a scandal involving the Kendra Valley Massacre led him to drop out of the race. Winn was thus assured victory and easily won the election. (DS9: "The Collaborator") Winn served as Kai for over five years, during which time Bajor saw significant changes. Relations with the United Federation of Planets were tenative, yet despite Winn's opposition to the Federation's presence the authority of the Kai was superceded by that of the Emissary. She eventually made amends with Captain Sisko but was never satisfied with his status as Emissary. The signing of the Bajoran-Cardassian Treaty took place in 2371, and as Kai, Winn took credit for the move even though Vedek Bareil was largely responsible for the negotiations. (DS9: ("Life Support", "The Reckoning") The power of the Kai reached its zenith under Winn's ambitious leadership. Popularity from the signing of the treaty with the Cardassians allowed Winn to briefly ascend to the position of First Minister, essentially giving her complete control of Bajor. Although she was defeated in a formal election by Shakaar Edon, she remained popular on Bajor despite her opportunistic nature. The position of Kai suffered a tremendous blow when Winn betrayed the Prophets and aided Dukat in his attempt to release the Pah-wraiths from the Fire Caves, however. With Winn dead, the future of the Kai is uncertain. Vedek Ungtae was one possible successor. (DS9: "Shakaar", "The Reckoning", "What You Leave Behind") Known Kais * 22nd century ** Taluno * 24th century ** Meressa ** Opaka ** Winn Adami